Environment secretary Michael Gove has praised a project by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) which researches the effects of different farming methods on wildlife and the environment.

In a speech to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for game and wildlife conservation, he said the Allerton Project, a research demonstration farm based at Loddington in Leicestershire, “pioneers some of the techniques which I suspect we will want to see adopted in a more widespread fashion”.

“When we think about the population that is concerned about the management of our land and environmental richness and diversity, and being able to contribute to the rural economy, those involved in game and wildlife conservation are equal in number and, in my view, just as important to listen to as those who have been managing the land for traditional agriculture enterprises,” he added.